Promise
by Hayles45
Summary: When Fred has to cancel his much anticipated dinner with his girlfriend, Daphne, he knows he has to make it up to her. Will the plan come together, or will he fail to keep his promise?
1. Lunchtime Promises

"Hey buddy, watch where you're walking!"

"Watch where _I'm_ walking? It was you who bumped into me, dumbass!"

Daphne watched the two men argue across the street from the bench she was sitting on, quietly munching on a sandwich as she stared intently. It was another busy day in central Coolsville, with traffic racing by and people trying to get from 'A' to 'B' as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the two men across the street seemed to have had a problem following that routine.

"I should wring your neck out right here on the sidewalk; how dare you speak to me like that!"

"You've got some nerve; I could have you arrested for threatening me!"

"You would call the police, you coward!"

Despite all the commotion, people continued to walk by as if nothing was going on, save for a few glances here and there. Daphne just sighed, focusing her attention on her sandwich. Another day, another meaningless fight in the street. It was almost expected, really.

Over the few years she had been working in the city centre, she had always sat on that particular bench every time she was allowed a break for lunch. It never seemed to be taken, so she would sit quietly and eat her packed lunch as she watched the city pass by. Apart from the occasional bumbling tourist asking for directions or a group of pigeons wanting some of her bread crumbs, she had always been left to her own devices. Not that she minded; she liked just sitting by herself for a little while each day, as it helped distract her from the many things she had to deal with in her everyday life.

Thinking about her routine, she smiled. After work, she was going out to dinner with her boyfriend of two years, Fred Jones. Although they had been dating for two years, they had been best friends practically their whole lives. Eventually their friendship had blossomed into something more, and the pair had found that they only wanted to be with each other. Which was difficult, since they both worked very long hours at very different times.

"At least he managed to get some time off today..." she muttered to herself, a smile on her face as she finished the last bite of her sandwich, placing the leftover napkin back into her lunchbox and closing the lid.

"Your mother is a llama!"

"How _dare_ you! I will destroy you!"

The two men across the street were now being restrained by several security guards, as many people hurried past or stood and watched, some even pulling out phones and cameras to film. Daphne was finding the whole thing rather amusing, having a little chuckle to herself as she watched from across the street.

"What are they even fighting about?"

Daphne stopped giggling, smiling broadly without really thinking about who had said that to her.

"I wish I knew; something stupid I bet," she replied, and the person laughed heartily.

"It's about the only kind of fight you get around here."

Daphne's eyes snapped open, suddenly realising that she was talking to an unidentified person, although they sounded very familiar. Turning sharply, she breathed a sigh of relief when she stared into the eyes of her boyfriend, who was smiling warmly at her.

"Freddie!" she exclaimed, punching him playfully in the arm, "Don't scare me like that! What are you doing here?" she asked, and he smirked.

"Well, you're always sitting at this bench on your lunch break so I thought I'd join you," he explained, and she leant up and gently kissed him on the lips, their lips locking for a moment before she pulled away and scooted closer to him. He smiled, taking her hand in his and holding it, resting their linked hands on his knee.

As they sat together, Daphne noticed that Fred was dressed in his work clothes. He worked as a prison guard in Coolsville Penitentiary, which was situated on the East side of the city near the suburbs. The job paid well, and Fred enjoyed it very much, but it was the hours that were the most difficult to tolerate. Often he would have to work night shifts, meaning that he would usually be busy during the day catching up on his sleep.

The uniform consisted of a light blue, short sleeved shirt, accompanied by a dark blue tie. A shining badge was attached to the shirt pocket, gleaming in the afternoon sun. The trousers were also a dark blue, with a black belt around the waist carrying many pieces of equipment varying from a police baton to pepper spray. Overall, he looked very formal and smart.

Even though she had always admired the way the uniform made him look, as soon as she saw it she realised that something was up. Her face fell, her grip loosening on his hand.

"You're working tonight, aren't you?" as she said this, his expression saddened, and he nodded.

"I'm sorry, Daph, but they need me there," he replied, sounding almost defeated as he spoke. She sighed deeply, leaning her head on his broad shoulder. He watched her, guilt written across his features. He hated to let her down.

"I was really looking forward to our date tonight," she muttered, and he squeezed her hand tightly.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise. I'll see if we can do something tomorrow," he offered, and she looked up at him.

"Alright, I guess that's a good idea," she said, still sounding disappointed. Glancing at her wristwatch, she sighed again, "I... I have to get back to work, Fred."

Fred nodded, smiling sadly as she collected what was left of her lunch and placed it in her handbag. Her slender hand slipped out of his, and she began to walk away when he stood up, stepping forwards and grasping her arm. She turned around to face him, and he could see that her ice blue eyes were clouded with tears.

He had never felt so badly about anything in his life before, and his face showed it.

"Daphne, I'm so sorry. I really am, sweetie," he apologised, sounding almost desperate. She managed a smile, reaching up and lightly caressing his cheek.

"It's alright, Fred. It's not the first time," her words made him feel even worse, and he sighed deeply.

"I promise we'll do something tomorrow. I'll call you later on, alright?" he said, and she nodded.

"Okay, that sounds good. I'll see you later," she smiled, leaning up and kissing him again, but with more passion this time around. He smirked against her lips, holding her hands as they stood in the centre of the square where the bench was located. Many people were walking past, some shooting disapproving looks at the couple as they continued to kiss lovingly. Fred honestly didn't care. Not one bit.

Pulling away, Daphne's cheeks turned a noticeable shade of pink, and he chuckled.

"Bye, Freddie,"

"Bye, Daph."

And with that, Daphne turned away and began to walk in the direction of her offices, ignoring the stares from onlookers who had watched the scene unfold. Fred sighed, walking in the opposite direction towards where he had parked his car a few blocks away. He would keep his promise to her.

* * *

**Hi guys! Aaah, it's been soooo long since I've put anything on here! :O Anyway, this was originally meant to be a Oneshot but I really wanted to publish something so here it is! Ta Dah! ;D Hope you enjoyed it so far, and make sure you review! :D**


	2. Phonecall

They'd been out places together before. Hundreds of times, especially when they were still in the gang, heading down to the malt shop or the pizza joint or wherever took their fancy (and hadn't recently kicked them out because of Shaggy and Scooby). They'd order the same things to wind each other up and Fred would nick her chips or pasta when she wasn't looking, feign innocence with that grin on his lips that always gave her a little tug in her stomach when directed at her. She'd nick his back and they'd end up giggling together like kids, the rest of the gang sighing at their antics, and nobody cared because that was them. Their friendship was so strong because they acted like two sides of a domino, independent and yet bound, and grinned all the way.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Fred grin like that. Just pure, childish glee. Before the gang broke up, in all probability.

Daphne sighed to herself, turning the shower off and reaching up for the shampoo. Fred used to be so carefree, like a little boy in a sandpit, always looking for the next big adventure and never caring if he didn't find one. Other kids had cried when they'd dropped their ice cream or lost their cuddly toy or come last in a race; not Fred. He'd buy another ice cream, or hold a mock funeral for the cuddly toy, or go and find another race to take part in.

And then that had all changed.

Of course, she didn't really know what had happened with Fred's family. Nobody did, not even the gossip-mongers who huddled together on their porch steps and whispered behind manicured hands. But one day there had been his siblings, running around in their garden screeching at each other, and the next they were gone, and it was just Fred and his mother, clinging to each other in silence as they walked slowly up the garden path, dressed in black, sodden from the rain hammering down all around them.

Turning the shower back on and leaning her head back, Daphne closed her eyes, blotting out thoughts of the past. It had happened, of course, but she couldn't change that, and Fred had survived. She had to focus on the here and now.

A faint smile crossed her lips as she thought of Fred's quiet approach to ask her on this date, his face set in careful lines, the tiny shake of his fingers as he spoke. He was such a confusing man. Risked everything to rescue her when things went wrong, but kept himself so carefully separate from her, never confiding in her about his feelings, never so much as hinting as to his mood or his thoughts. He exasperated her sometimes, with his stubbornness and his determination and his closed-off eyes when he spoke to her- but did he realise what he was doing? That was a whole new piece of the puzzle, whether Fred was conscious of it all. And although it infuriated her, it invigorated her too, and she shuddered despite the piping hot water at the thought of life without her mysterious man, the boy she'd grown up with. He embraced his passion for helping people, and so did she. Two sides of the same domino.

Didn't hurt that he looked good while he was doing it.

_Oh stop it, Daphne..._

Smiling to herself, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in her fluffy white towel, combing her hair until it hung, straight and dripping, either side of her face. She would find out more soon, it seemed. She hoped.

* * *

The silence of it all was suddenly shattered by the ringing of her landline. She groaned, placing the comb back onto the marble countertop beside the sink and dashing into the front room with what little grace she could spare in her current state. Reaching the coffee table where her phone was usually located, she grasped the receiver and placed it to her ear.

"Hello?" As she spoke she glanced out of her apartment window, noticing how dark it was and making a mental note to make dinner sooner rather than later.

"Hey beautiful," in an instant she knew _exactly_ who it was, "how are you?"

Daphne smiled, sinking into the soft cushions of her sofa.

"Well, I just got out of the shower..."

"Tell me _all_ about it." Daphne chuckled to herself, trying to ignore the noticeable shade of red that was now painted across her cheeks.

"In your dreams!"

"Don't worry, it will be,"

"You are shameless!"

"I know, I know..."

She had always enjoyed their phone conversations. It seemed to be one of the only times he ever let himself relax, and it would just be the two of them. No distractions, no stress, just two people who were comfortable with one another and themselves.

"How are you doing?" Eventually, however, one of them would have to bring the conversation back down to earth. Back down to what was keeping them both alive; their jobs.

She heard Fred sigh, whether he meant for her to hear or not.

"Alright. Just the same old routine, really." She hadn't expected a piece of poetry; she never did. But he seemed even less expressive than he normally was.

"Right..." her mind struggled to find something to say. It was incredible how quickly their conversation could go from charismatic and flirtatious to awkward and strenuous, "So there's not been any trouble?"

"Well, I do work in a _prison_, Daph!" he chuckled, making her smile. If he called her 'Daph', it was always a good sign.

His chuckling ceased as he was reminded of the fact that she was often genuinely worried about him whilst he was working, "...but nothing major, sweetie, don't worry."

"That's good..." her voice trailed off, and he noticed.

"You okay, Daph?" he asked, and she sighed deeply.

"I'm just still a bit upset about today, that's all..."

"Oh! That's exactly why I called you!" His ecstatic response was unexpected, and almost made her jump out of her seat.

"Jesus, Fred! You scared me!" she cried, but he knew she was half joking. He chuckled lightly, the same chuckle that she had loved for as long as she had known him.

"Sorry! I wanted to ask if you wanted to have dinner with me tomorrow night. I pleaded with my boss and he gave me the night off!" he explained, and suddenly she was smiling.

"Freddie... that's..." she paused, unable to stop grinning like a giddy schoolgirl. What had previously been a rubbish day had now been turned into a great one, "...that's great! You've got it!"

She could tell he was as happy as she was from the tone of his voice.

"Come over to mine at around seven, and we'll take things from there," he said, and she nodded.

"I can't wait, Freddie. See you then!"

"I love you, Daph. Sleep well!"

"I will! Love you too! Bye!" and with that she hung up the phone, leaving it to rest on the coffee table. She almost felt bad for being angry at him earlier on, but none of it mattered anymore. Dashing off to finish sorting her hair, she realised that she hadn't been as happy as she was in a long... _long_ time. All thanks to a certain Fred Jones.

_Her_ Fred Jones.

* * *

**Guys! I didn't die! Hooray! *non-death party for Hayles45* YAY! ...but seriously, where the front door have I been? Well, my friends, I have been in Writer's Block land. Yes, it is as **_**horrible**_** and **_**frightening **_**as it sounds! But have no fear, I have escaped... for now... :D Mwahahahahha!  
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, guys, as it really isn't my best work. There's been so much shizzle going on in my life for the past... five months now, and it's been so hard to write things. So I apologise if it wasn't up to standard, but I just felt so bad about not updating everything, and it seems like hardly anyone is writing SD/Fraphne Fanfiction any more... But hopefully there is more coming soon, as the Easter Holidays are coming up and I literally have nothing to do. So yay! Thanks for reading this, and if you liked it please leave me a review and tell me why! It really helps motivate me! Fraphne Forever! (also, thanks to Jazzola for her help with this chapter, and also being a MAHOOSIVE help to me in recent months. You're such a good friend, and sorry for not being there to talk for a while. Stuff just gets in the way, you know?)**


	3. Dinner and Dancing

Fred had always prided himself with the knowledge that he could look after himself without much difficulty. It was the sense of independence that he had always longed for growing up, and when you grow up with five siblings, wanting to spread your wings and take on the world is to be expected.

As she stood outside the door to his apartment, Daphne smiled to herself. The apartment, number 54 to be exact, was Fred's independence. It represented everything about him, and everything he had worked for. She had always been amazed at how immaculate it was; cleaner than her own apartment to say the least. He had everything in its rightful place, even his collection of CDs and DVDs were carefully organised by genre, and then put into alphabetical order. It was his own space; something that he had lacked since he had been born, sharing a bedroom with his twin brother, Oscar for most of his childhood years. It represented his freedom, a way to express himself. That made him very happy. And if Fred was happy, Daphne was happy.

That was the reason his offer of dinner was so endearing to her. He was making up for his previous failure by inviting her into his space to entertain her. He wanted to share his space (and his often questionable cooking skills) with her; not something he would often do with anyone else. And that meant a lot to her. A hell of a lot.

Taking a deep breath, she gently knocked on the door and stepped back slightly. She had deliberately tried to arrive on time, instead of being 'fashionably late' as she liked to call it. Fred was tolerant of her various bad habits, but Daphne had decided to spare him the task of keeping whatever he was making warm for her, as not only was it a hassle for him, but it would often result in charred food for her when she eventually would arrive on the scene. So yes, she was definitely on time.

A brief call of "I'm coming!" was heard from within the apartment, followed by hurried footsteps. The key turned in the lock before the door swung open, revealing a flustered looking Fred Jones, donned in a rather dashing combo of black formal trousers and a open collared red shirt. Not to mention the large, white apron which accompanied the outfit, printed with the words 'Kiss the Chef'. Daphne made a mental note to take him up on that offer later.

"Hey, you're on time!" he said with a breathless smile. She chuckled and shrugged her shoulders playfully.

"Well, I try,'" she replied, his smile infectious as she began to grin happily at the sight of him. Just being in his presence was enough to make her knees weak.

Fred's smile widened as he opened the door fully, stepping to the side and gesturing for her to enter.

"Come on in; dinner's almost ready," he explained, his voice tinged with a subtle tone of excitement, "I hope you're hungry!" he added, and she nodded profusely.

"I haven't had a thing since lunchtime!" she cried. Fred chuckled lightly as he shut the door behind them. Stepping towards her, he gently cupped her face with his hands and pressed his lips to hers. Daphne closed her eyes, almost losing herself to the sensation. She really did miss being close with him, like the days before their jobs had gotten in the way of things.

Pulling away, Daphne smiled when she saw that he was blushing, his cheeks a rosy shade of pink. He kept his hands where they were for a moment longer, his cerulean eyes staring into her sapphires.

"You look beautiful tonight."

She could've easily lost herself right there and then. He had such a profound effect on her; it was incredible.

"Thanks. That shirt suits you," she replied, wanting to return the compliment. He smirked, removing his hands from around her face and instead examining the fabric of his shirt.

"I just bought it for a change; red isn't really my colour..."

"I think it's nice!" she interrupted, stopping him from trying to put himself down, "Red makes you look sexier than usual."

Fred laughed heartily, turning away from her and jogging over to the kitchen area, which was built into the living room.

"Well thank you, sweetie. Maybe I'll start wearing red more often..."

Turning his attention to the cooker, he lowered the heat on what appeared to be a pasta dish; probably Italian. Fred's father was Italian, so it was where he had gained most of his cooking knowledge from.

"You can sit down," he said, gesturing to the small dining table that was situated beside the kitchen, "...this won't be too long."

Daphne smiled, undoing the buttons of her fur (fake fur of course) coat and slipping it from around her shoulders. Placing it on the back of her chair, she only then noticed that Fred was staring right at her from his position beside the cooker. She smirked, but was also unable to stop the shade of red her cheeks had turned.

"What are you staring at?" she asked, her voice playful as she spoke. He chuckled again, that wonderful, wonderful chuckle.

"I just think you look so..." he paused, trying to think of the right word to use, "...so gorgeous in that outfit."

Daphne giggled, pulling out her chair and sitting down. She had chosen to wear a simple outfit, but still impressive at the same time. A floaty emerald top made of a silky fabric was accompanied by black skinny jeans which Daphne had ironed furiously the night before. On her feet she had chosen some flat shoes, which matched her top in colour. Overall, she looked very pretty indeed.

"You're such a charmer," she teased, making him laugh as he brought the cutlery over to the table.

"Well, I try," he replied, echoing her earlier response to his compliments. Placing the knife and fork beside her placemat, he turned his attention to the bottle of wine that was sitting in the middle of the table.

"Ooh," she smiled, "I see you've become quite the connoisseur..."

Fred shrugged, picking up the bottle and reading the label.

"So, this is a fancy wine with a name I can't pronounce... from a part of France that I can't pronounce either..." he concluded, making her laugh.

"Seriously?"

He shrugged lightly, smiling all the while.

"Well, if it was in Italian I could read it," he explained, reminding her of the fact that Fred spoke fluent Italian, thanks to his upbringing.

"Speak to me in Italian, Fred," she requested, and he smirked. Whenever she had heard him speak the beautiful language in the past, it had always gave him so much more depth, and if she was brutally honest with herself, she found it incredibly sexy.

"Vuoi un po 'di vino, amore mio?" The sound of the rich language gave Daphne butterflies. He was grinning now, a sense of pride painted on his features.

"And what does that mean?"

"Would you like some wine, my love?" he explained, and she blushed.

"Si," she replied, using her very basic knowledge of Italian to acknowledge his efforts.

Fred chuckled, pouring her a glass before setting the bottle back down on the table.

"I see you've been practicing," Fred smirked, walking over to the cooker and beginning to dish up the pasta. Daphne sipped the wine, finding that it tasted nice for a red wine; she often preferred white.

"Well, I learned from the best," she replied, taking another sip. Fred had tried teaching her Italian over the years, but she never was able to pick up much more than the basics. She had never really been able to learn languages easily.

"Here you go!" Fred's words snapped her from her thoughts as he placed a steaming plate of spaghetti bolognese in front of her. Daphne's eyes lit up at the sight of it: she really had not eaten since lunchtime.

"Thanks, Freddie," she smiled, leaning up and kissing him on the cheek. He grinned, sitting down across from her and mixing his pasta so that the sauce coated every available strand of spaghetti.

"My mom taught me how to make it," he explained, and Daphne nodded. His mother, although not Italian herself, had a great passion for Italian cooking, much like Fred's father. Whatever the case, it was certainly the most impressive dish he had ever made for her.

Taking a bite, she smiled, making a loud 'mmm' noise. Fred chuckled, taking a few bites himself.

"This is delicious!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled by the fact that her mouth was still partly full.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, dear," he teased, a smirk evident on his face.

"Oh shut up! You, sir are a fine one to talk!"

* * *

As they ate, Daphne noticed that Fred was slightly... distant. She could always tell when he was thinking about things, from the expression on his face to the tone of his voice. But it was obvious that something was troubling him.

They continued to sit in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Fred finally gave in to his thoughts.

"I feel really bad about yesterday, y'know?"

He stared at her from across the table, his expression almost sorrowful. Their plates were nearly empty by this point.

Daphne frowned, reaching across and resting her hand atop his own.

"I know, Freddie... but things happen. We just have to move on, and I'm having such a great time with you tonight," she assured him, and he nodded.

"I've been thinking a lot about my job recently..." there was a pause, "...about the hours I work... and about you."

Daphne smiled gently, massaging the top of his hand with her thumb.

"It's not ideal, Fred, but we both need to work to keep ourselves going..."

"I just wish I could work daytime hours... like the ones you do," he replied, and she nodded. It would be much easier if they both worked at the same time, and had the same days off.

"I know, Freddie, I know..." The best thing she could do was comfort him. Squeezing his hand gently, she finished the last mouthful of spaghetti left on her plate.

"Well that was delicious, Freddie, thank you!" she exclaimed, trying to lighten the mood. Fred smiled, standing up and collecting both of their plates and taking them to the sink.

"You're welcome, Daph. I'm glad you liked it." Slipping off the apron that he'd forgotten to remove earlier, he returned to where she was now standing. As he walked, Daphne could now appreciate his outfit fully. The red formal shirt was quite tight, which caused it to highlight the muscular torso which laid underneath the soft fabric. This was a piece of fashion that Daphne could _really_ appreciate.

Secretly she hoped there would be a chance for some intimacy later, but for the moment she was just glad to be in his company. It really had been a while since they had been alone like this with one another.

Suddenly the radio, which had been playing quietly since she had arrived, began to play a romantic song, which was also a favourite of Daphne's.

"Oh, Freddie... I love this song," she exclaimed, reaching forward and taking his hands in hers, "...will you dance with me?"

Fred smiled, nodding before sliding his hands around her waist and gently swaying to the beat. Daphne sighed contently, resting her head on his broad chest as the song began.

_Wise men say,  
Only fools rush in,  
But I can't help falling in love with you..._

Her arms rested on his shoulders as she brought her head up to meet his gaze. Fred smiled, touching his nose to hers gently as they swayed to the rhythm. There was a glimmer in his eyes; those cerulean orbs were dancing in the candle light.

_Shall I stay,  
Would it be a sin?  
If I can't help falling in love with you..._

"I love you," he whispered, and she smiled, kissing his cheek before resting her head against the crook of his collarbone.

"I love you too, Freddie..." she paused, breathing in his scent. That comforting, familiar scent that she had known her whole life, "Thanks for tonight. It means a lot to me that you'd do this," she said, her voice soft as she spoke.

She heard him chuckle lightly to himself as they danced, making her smile ever the wider.

"Don't mention it, Daph..."

_Take my hand,  
Take my whole life too,  
For I can't help falling in love with you..._

She felt his fingers on the tip of her chin, bringing her head back up to meet his. Their eyes locked for a moment, and Daphne saw something different in those swirling orbs of wondrous blue; something that she _definitely_ recognised.

Slowly, he leant in and captured her lips with his own, his lips soft as they began to kiss. Her hands went to his hair, running her fingers through the short strands of golden hair. This wasn't like the kiss he had greeted her with: this kiss meant something different entirely. And boy was Daphne happy about it.

Pulling away, he began to kiss her exposed neck, making Daphne gasp as he did so.

"F-Freddie..." her voice was quiet, breathless even. She had always said that his lips were magical. They had to be, if they could cause such a reaction from her.

What had started out as a slow dance quickly progressed into a passionate embrace, and the song slowly faded out of their minds as the main focus became each other.

Daphne pressed her lips to the side of his neck, making him groan quietly.

"I've missed this, Daphne," he said gently, and she pulled away to look at him directly.

"Me too," she smiled, resting her hands on his chest and she leant up and kissed him again.

Taking her hand, he began to lead her towards his bedroom; their lips still locked most of the way. Pushing the door open, they stepped inside before shutting it behind them, still wrapped in each other's arms.

Daphne glanced around his bedroom. It had always been very neat; everything was colour co-ordinated from the blue curtains to the blue cushions resting on the bed cover. Although she had helped him with _that_ part. It was certainly a familiar room, one that she had often stayed in often over the course of their relationship. But they hadn't been intimate like this in... Two months.

_Surely it hasn't been __**that**__ long?_

Still planting kisses all over his neck and chin, she began to undo the buttons of his shirt, revealing the physical perfection that was hiding underneath. Fred helped her with the last few, sliding it off of his shoulders and tossing it to the side.

"Like what you see?" he asked, smirking despite the obvious shade of pink tingeing his cheeks. She loved it when he was flirty with her.

"As always," she replied, running her hands across the toned muscles of his abdomen. He sighed at the contact, obviously as pleased about the intimacy as she was.

Capturing his lips with her own, she pulled him towards the bed, stopping when she felt the backs of her knees hit the end of the blue duvet. Fred's hands were busying away, trying his best to remove some of _her_ clothing.

She had never felt so _alive_.

Scooping her up in his arms, he placed her down on the bed, crawling so that he was hovering above her. She smiled as their eyes locked, cerulean and sapphire.

Fred and Daphne.

"Thanks for tonight, Fred. I love you," she whispered as he kissed her forehead lovingly.

"Don't mention it, Daph. Anything for you."

Then she lost herself to the man who completed her; the man who she needed in her life to survive. Fred Jones.

_Her_ Fred Jones...

* * *

**Hi guys! :D I think I'm getting my mojo back, but we'll see xD I hope so, anyway ;) I really worked hard on this, guys, so I hope you liked it! There should be one more chapter after this then this story is done! :D I've actually been away all weekend so most of this was typed on my iPod! I hope it's okay :D The song, if you haven't guessed, was 'Can't Help Falling in Love' by Elvis. I just thought it suited it. Remember to review and tell me what you liked or disliked! Thanks again guys :)**


	4. A Passionate Mess

The sound of steady traffic from outside the apartment and gentle snoring from within stirred Daphne from her sleep. As she opened her eyes, she immediately winced as she noticed how bright the room was. It was summer time in Coolsville, so the sun would often rise extremely early. Whether that was a good thing or not, she had yet to decide.

Shifting slightly, she realised that a pair of muscular arms were keeping her in place, wrapped around her abdomen in a loving embrace. Daphne smiled, moving so that she had propped herself up on her arms to look down on her captor without breaking the embrace itself. Fred was sleeping peacefully, quiet snores escaping his mouth now and then. His blonde hair was messy beyond belief, making Daphne smirk as she realised it was partly down to her and their... activities the night previous. However it had happened, it only made him look all the more endearing.

Being careful as she did so, she gently removed his arms from around her, shifting before placing them back on the mattress. Fred stirred slightly from the contact, mumbling before resuming his slumber. Planting a soft kiss on his forehead, Daphne swivelled her hips so that she was sat on the edge of the bed before standing up and walking over to the curtains.

Cautious not to wake Fred as she did so, she pulled back the curtain slightly to take a look at the street outside. Surprisingly, there was a considerable amount of traffic already on the road, despite it being a Saturday morning. Daphne shook her head in disbelief. The traffic alone in the city had always been enough to convince her against getting a car of her own, at least not whilst she was living in the centre of it anyway.

Nevertheless, it was an extremely nice day, one which she intended to enjoy at some point. But for the moment, she had other things to attend to...

Glancing around the room, she chuckled quietly as she noticed various items of both of their clothing strewn across the floor. Intimacy doesn't often allow for neatness when disposing of layers. Walking around, she picked up the remnants of her outfit, folding them carefully before placing them on the dresser. It _was _her only outfit, after all.

She really hadn't been as happy as she was for a long time. He had always had that effect on her, even when they were kids. That boyish smile of his always made her heart skip a beat, and she was never able to stay angry at him for long. Not that he ever gave her much reason to be angry.

She loved him. More than she'd ever loved anyone. And she knew that he felt the same way about her. Their situation as of late had taken its toll on their relationship, but they were strong. But despite that, Daphne missed him terribly.

Taking one last moment to glance over at Fred in his peaceful state, Daphne slipped into his en suite bathroom and shut the door behind her.

Walking over to the sink, she sighed when she saw the state of her own hair.

"I guess I wasn't the only one who was a bit over passionate..." she smiled, picking up a stray comb left on the countertop and running it through her silky, red locks, trying to somehow straighten the obvious knots that were visible.

Whenever she slept over at Fred's, she would always try and freshen herself up in the morning before Fred himself awoke. She knew that he didn't care what state she was in come morning, but it gave Daphne peace of mind to feel fresh and ready to start the day. The only problem was that she hadn't anticipated that she would be staying over, so she didn't really have very much to freshen herself up with.

She would just have to settle for semi acceptable hair for now.

Suddenly, she noticed that there was a picture hanging on the wall above the bath. Stepping over, she immediately felt herself smiling when she realised it was their prom photo. It felt like such a long time ago to Daphne, when in reality it wasn't as ancient as she though. Had their lives really changed so much since that day? Both of their careers, especially Daphne's had taken off, which was good in one way but bad in another. But in some way, their relationship seemed stronger, even better than the one they had in the picture all those years ago. 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder', the saying which had always stumped Daphne as a child finally made sense.

Even though the time they spent apart was difficult, it made the time they _did _spend together all the more worthwhile.

"Dammit, picture, why do you pull all of these deep revelations out of me?" she chuckled to herself as she splashed her face with cold water from the tap.

Hearing a noise from the bedroom, she turned, listening intently. From what she could hear, Fred was finally waking up.

"...D-Daph?" she heard him mumble, making her smile. He sounded like a kid who had lost his parents at the supermarket.

Deciding not to worry him any longer, Daphne pushed the door open and stepped into the room once again.

"I'm here, Fred," she smiled, watching as he turned underneath the covers to face her.

"Good morning, sweeti-" his voice trailed off as his eyes finally focused on her as she stood at the bathroom door. Daphne had never had time to get dressed, so she was completely naked as she had been going about her morning routine. Which was something Fred was now taking the time to fully appreciate.

Daphne couldn't help but blush as he stared at her.

"Like what you see?" her words echoed his own from the previous night, and he smirked as he propped himself up on his elbows, leaning against the headboard.

"As always."

Moving towards him, she grinned.

"I would tell you to stop undressing me with your eyes, but... you know..." she quipped, and he chuckled lightly.

"I did enough undressing last night to last me a lifetime."

She really had missed this; the banter, the flirting. He knew that she enjoyed it when he was over confident.

"That's a pretty _bold_ statement, Mr Jones," she smirked.

"I'm a pretty bold guy, Miss Blake."

Daphne blushed again, sitting on the edge of the bed as she turned to face him. In the early days of their relationship, or rather the intimate side of it, she would have never have been as confident with her body as she was now. She was extremely self conscious of her nakedness, even going as far to hide herself from him when they did get intimate with each other. But over the years, Fred had convinced her that she was beautiful, and that her body was too. In a way, he was responsible for the confident young woman she had become.

"Tell me something I _don't_ know..." Fred laughed softly, reaching over and taking her hand in his.

"How about that I'm the luckiest guy in the world?" he replied, kissing her hand gently as he did so.

"And why's that?"

"Because I have you..." he mistook the way her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red for anger, and suddenly he was like a bumbling schoolboy, "I-I mean, I don't _have _you! You're not mine! You're an independent woman, whom I have absolutely _no_ ownership over-"

She had to use all her strength to restrain her laughter. He was such a gentleman at heart, not wanting to upset her in any way. It was hilarious to her.

"Shut up, Fred," she silenced him with a kiss, lifting up the covers and sliding in beside him. Pulling away, she rested her head on his chest as he pulled her into his arms, "If anyone owns anyone around here, you are _mine_, understood?"

That made them both laugh, and Fred kissed the top of her head lovingly.

"Sure thing, sweetie," he smiled, glancing over at the clock on the bedside table, "...you ready for some breakfast?"

Daphne nodded, almost not wanting to leave the warmth and security of his embrace, but her love for pancakes convinced her otherwise.

"After you chef," she teased, gently smacking his posterior as he exited the bed. Fred chuckled, but she could tell that he was blushing furiously as he walked.

As he reached his wardrobe, he noticed the scattering of clothes Daphne had seen earlier.

"We sure made a mess last night," he muttered, picking his trousers up and folding them in his hands. Daphne giggled, snuggling into his pillow as she watched him. His scent was obvious, and Daphne debated on stealing the pillow to keep in her own bed.

"A passionate mess," she replied, and he turned to smile at her before opening the wardrobe doors, hanging his trousers on an empty coat hanger.

Picking out a pair of grey sweatpants, Fred placed his feet through the legs before pulling them on. Daphne grumbled, and he laughed.

"What's wrong? Upset I'm not naked anymore?" he questioned, and she winked before throwing the covers to the side and standing up to join him. She loved the way his composure was instantly lost whenever she did something like this, his previously cocky expression replaced by wide eyes as she sauntered over to him.

His hands grazed the smooth skin of her sides as she leant up to kiss him, pulling away a second later to whisper at his ear.

"Got anything _I _can wear?" His hands were now running over her abdomen, sending shivers down Daphne's spine. _Good_ shivers.

"To be honest, Daphne," there was a pause as he pressed his lips to her forehead gently, "I'd prefer if you didn't wear anything at all," he smiled, trying his best to keep eye contact, "...but I've got something you can wear for now."

Turning back to the wardrobe, he began to file through the various clothes that were hanging there. Whilst he was busy, Daphne gently traced the muscles of his back with her fingers. He really did have the body of a God.

"Here you go!" when she saw what he had selected, she couldn't help but smile. It was his high school soccer shirt, proudly printed with his surname and the number '11' on the back. It had always been too big for him, so it would fit her nicely as a casual top.

"I haven't seen this thing in years..." she smiled, taking it from him and slipping it on. It came to just above her knees. Fred smiled, closing the wardrobe and turning back to her.

"You used to come and watch every game, no matter how badly we did," he chuckled, and she smacked him playfully.

"The others might have been bad, but _you_ weren't! You practically carried that team," she protested, and he pulled her into a warm embrace.

"That's awfully nice of you to say, sweetie."

They stood in silence for a few moments, just enjoying the contact. The shirt had brought back countless memories, from celebrating with him when they won to consoling him when they lost. Needless to say, she had always supported Fred in his sporting endeavours.

"C'mon, chef," she smiled, taking his hand in hers and leading him towards the door, "I want some of your world famous pancakes..."

* * *

"...so it's going to be a lovely weekend here in Coolsville, with temperatures rocketing over the next few days! So make sure you keep yourself protected from the sun..." the weather man on the television continued to babble about the soaring temperatures as of late.

"Looks like it's gonna be nice, Daph," Fred observed, shovelling another forkful of pancakes into his mouth as he spoke. Daphne giggled, sitting up to wipe a crumb from his cheek with her hand.

"Sure does. It's about time we got some nice weather," normally she would've hated the fact that they were conversing about the _weather_, but today she didn't mind. It was a relaxed atmosphere, which didn't require extremely intriguing topics. Just as long as they were with one another, nothing else really mattered.

"What were you thinking of doing today?" he asked, finishing his plate and walking over to the kitchen. Daphne pondered the question for a moment before answering.

"I was thinking of popping into central to buy a few things..."

'Central' was otherwise known as the city centre, where Daphne liked to spend her weekends browsing fashion outlets and perhaps paying a little _too_ much money for certain things. Fred chuckled, reaching over to take Daphne's empty plate as she handed it to him.

"I can take you down there, if you like?" he offered, walking back over to the couch and sitting beside her. Fred was a rarity based on the fact that he owned a car whilst living so close to central Coolsville, as he needed it to get to and from work. But driving into central on a Saturday was almost suicidal.

"It's okay, Fred, I can walk from here..." she paused, catching his eye for a moment, "...you can come too, if you'd like?"

He smiled, crawling over until he had positioned himself above her on the sofa.

"Whatever makes you happy, Daphne," he spoke softly, lowering his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. Daphne groaned quietly, her hands grasping his hair as they kissed. She just couldn't get enough of him. It was incredible.

Her hands brushed the waistband of his sweats, and he broke the kiss, eyes smouldering as he met her gaze.

"Or we could stay here and do some... other stuff..." she suggested, trying to sound as sexy as possible. He smirked, moving to kiss her neck.

"I like the sound of _that_ idea..."

Suddenly, the phone rang, shattering the peace of it all. Fred made to pull away, but Daphne wrapped her legs around his waist, effectively trapping him.

"It can wait..." she mumbled, smothering his lips with kisses in a desperate attempt to make him stay.

"No, it really can't..." reaching behind his back, he gently removed the vice grip she was attempting to perform. Daphne grumbled, sinking back into the soft fabric as Fred jumped up, jogging to the phone.

It was already happening. Their lives were coming back, ending their time together. And it saddened her deeply.

"Hello?"

Fred always said 'hello' the same way, she noticed: the tone of his voice always went up slightly at the end, to emphasise the question. She found it incredibly cute regardless.

"Oh, hey Tom..." he paused, leaning against the wall with one arm as he listened. Daphne watched intently, wanting to know what was going on, "...he got fired? Wow... so what does that have to do with me?"

He listened for a few moments, and Daphne watched as his expression changed significantly. It was obvious that he was barely containing his excitement.

"That's... that's fantastic, Tom. Thanks ever so much! Right, see you then... bye!" Fred placed the phone back on the receiver, stopping still for a second as he replayed what he'd just heard in his mind.

"What is it, Freddie? Something about work?" she asked, unable to stop herself from smiling. He turned, and suddenly he leapt towards her, scooping her up in his arms and capturing her lips with his own. Daphne exclaimed in surprise before sinking into his arms, returning the kiss eagerly.

Fred pulled away, pressing his forehead to hers as their eyes locked.

"I've had a job change..." he breathed, and her smile grew wider, "...and it's daytime hours, like yours," he finished, and she gasped.

This was what they had been waiting for. Her mind was already filling itself with all the things they would do together. It was an incredible feeling.

"You're kidding me, Fred!" she cried, planting a warm kiss on his cheek as he held her.

"Oh I'm serious," he replied, smirking as he did so, "...I promise."

* * *

**IT IS DONE! :D Oh man, this was so much fun :D I should do this more often! Thanks so much for reading guys, I really appreciate it! Big shout out to FraphneAddict, who has been a really awesome help as well as my buddy Jazzola, who was also a MAHOOSIVE help with the second chapter! :D Thanks guys, and make sure to leave a review :D More coming soon, I PROMISE! Get it? No... okay... ;D**


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